


When You Have A Life Crisis But You're Just a Lonely Nerd (Hosie AU)

by mcmayas



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, High School, Nerdy!Hope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21728893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcmayas/pseuds/mcmayas
Summary: Just a story about two girls. No magic. No werewolves. No vampires. Basically Fluff.Also Hope is an awkward nerd. You'll get used to it.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Milton "MG" Greasley & Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 28
Kudos: 195





	1. Chapter 1

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"  
Fuck. My head hurts like a bitch. It takes a couple minutes, but I finally roll over on my bed and check my phone. It reads 7:30 AM.  
"Oh shoot! Mom, why didn't you wake me up earlier?!"  
"I don't know. I thought you were already awake, Hope. Sorry." I can’t believe this. How does my mom always think I’ve woken myself up and then make me late for school? Whatever. Let’s just get through this, I guess.  
  
Sometimes, I wish I wasn't such a good student. If that were the case, I would just skip the first half of the day. Unfortunately, my 4.0 GPA doesn't allow me any days off.

I rush through my morning routine quickly, and I forgo my usual Spotify playlist. To my extreme dislike, I'm also going to skip my usual breakfast of toast and bacon. I can already tell this day is gonna suck ass. After a quick car ride, I walk into my high school, Mystic Falls High, and practically sprint to class. When I reach the first class of the day, French I, I'm sure everyone in the class hears me plop down in my seat just as the tardy bell rang. 

“Alright, class. Take out your binders. We're going to being doing a culture unit today. This unit's country is Canada." I don't have any problems with Mrs. Hermann, but I do have a hatred towards studying French culture. Sleep usually overpowered me during these lectures.

"Blah. Blah blah blah. Blah..." And that's how most of the class goes today. Until I hear something unusual.  
"So, those are the requirements for our final project this unit over culture, and this will be 20% of your final grade." Oh, fuck. I knew I should have payed attention earlier.  
"And for this project, your partner will be your tablemate." I look to my left and see something that brings fear to my fragile heart. Josie Saltzman.

I don't have any problems with Josie. She's a really nice girl and all, but she kind of scares me. I'm not a villain, ok? It's just that I'm not the type of girl to dedicate my time to people who don't deserve it. This world has stupid people, and I don't associate with them. If there were a competition for the most generous, kind, and giving person, you can bet your ass Josie Saltzman would take home the winning prize. I've seen her volunteer at our local homeless shelter ever other day for the entire past year. She's literally perfect. And stunning. And gorgeous. And did I mention stunning?

Ok, I'm slightly getting off track here. Anyways, she's just intimidating to me. I would never measure up to her level of perfection.  
"Did you get that?"

Oh fuck. She's actually talking to me now. And I've probably just been staring this whole time.

"Yeah, I think so." Hopefully she didn't notice my daydreaming.  
  
"Okay, then. We should totally meet up at my house later. To, you know, go over a game plan." The bell rings after her request, and I find myself gathering up my stuff quickly.  
"Sure, Josie. I'll meet you at your house at 5?"  
"Okay, cool."  
"See ya later." I'm fumbling around trying to get my crap together and leave the classroom quickly when I hear her unexpected reply.

"Don't you need my address?" My cheeks flush with embarrassment as I turn around to face her. How could I be so clueless today?  
"Totally, duh!" I slap my forehead like an idiot. Way to go, Hope. When she finally gives me her address, I practically speed away due to my flustered state. I can feel her eyes on me the whole way out of the classroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Sweat is dripping down my forehead. Am I really so scared of Josie that I can't have a simple conversation with her?! We've been "talking" for about thirty minutes or so. And by "talking", I mean her talking to me, and my monosyllabic answers.

“Uh huh."

“Yeah."

“Okay."

“Sure."

Unfortunately, while I've been mentally kicking myself in the head, Josie's noticed my absent state of mind.

“Are you okay, Hope?" Maybe I should just be completely honest with her.

“Honestly? You're kind of intimidating to me."

“Have I made you feel unwelcome in my house? I'm sorry!" Of course her kind nature causes her to jump to a conclusion where this is actually her fault.

“No, this isn't really your fault. I'm not really the type of girl to just randomly be nice to others, and you're the polar opposite of that. I don't want you to think of me as cold hearted when you get to know me better." I lower my head in shame.

Suddenly, I feel my head slightly rise. There's something on my chin. It's a...hand?! When my head's fully upright, I find myself staring into Josie's eyes. I never noticed how bright they were.

“Do you remember when we sat together in 4th grade?" As I try to answer her, I can't really recall that we were ever together. Hey face is slightly distracting.

“Not really." My reply is slightly sheepish and embarrassed at my forgetfulness.

“One day, I'd forgotten my homework. The teacher was coming to collect our papers, and I was close to sobbing. I thought my elementary career was over. But then, I saw you erase your name on your paper and write mine." Oh my gosh. How could I forget that happened?

“Hope, I asked you why you did that for me when I hadn't really spoken to you that year. You just said, 'Some people are worth a bad grade.' That was one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me." I can't believe she remembers this from five years ago.

“I also know you're the biggest nerd in our grade, so a bad grade for you was the end of the world." We both bust out into chuckles. I know she was making a joke, but that statement has some truth to it. I'm at the top of our class this year.

I'm still laughing. Josie just has a way of heightening my emotions and lowering my self control. And that's how I fall off of Josie's bed with a hard thud.

“Are you okay?"

“I'm physically fine. Although, my ego is slightly hurt now." She laughs at that one.

“Here, I'll help you up." Her hand slips through mine, and her surprisingly strong grip lifts me to my feet.  
  
“You're really strong, Josie."

“I am on the varsity soccer team. We lift a lot of weights over the summer."

“If you're any indication of the benefits of soccer, maybe I should join myself."

“Hope Mikaelson, are you saying I'm hot?" Shit. That caught me off guard.

“N-No! I mean, yes, you're hot and attractive and awesome...I was just-I was trying to keep the- the, umm, conversation going, and I-I'm sorry for crossing a boundary and-like I dont want to...do anything -" Josie finally shows some mercy and cuts off my embarrassing rambling.

“Hope, it's okay. I started it. You didn't do anything wrong."

“I still feel like-"  
  
“Nope. I won't let you apologize. You were nothing short of great today, and I like hanging out with you. Let's meet up sometime later without the premise of this project. Okay?" I'm still a little flustered from the comment, so I just nod. Then I look at my phone.  
  
“Josie, I think I have to go soon. It's almost dinner time."  
  
“Alright, I'll see you later then?"

“Yep. Thank you for inviting me to your home. Maybe next time we meet at my house?"

“Okay. Bye, Hope."

“Bye." I don't want to leave just yet, but my dad will kill me if I'm home late. How should I end this?

“Hope, don't you have to go?"

“Yeah, I just-" Suddenly, I find myself surging forward to meet her in a hug. She's obviously surprised, but she slowly wraps her arms around me. Her height causes my face to slightly be buried in her chest, and I want to stay here forever. We break apart after a little too long for a friendly hug. Her cheeks are blushed, and I'm glad to see her flustered in my presence for once.

“Alright, bye!" I'm out the door in a rush. I'm waking to my car, and I realize I miss our embrace


	3. Chapter 3

“What the hell do you think you're doing with my sister?!" I know that voice anywhere. Lizzie Fucking Saltzman.

“I don't know what you mean in the slightest." Maybe if I am polite I can get myself out of this dreadful situation.

“Don't play dummy, nerd. I know you've been salivating over my sister. So stay away from her, or I'll have my friends rip you and your life to shreds." As you can probably tell by now, Lizzie and Josie Saltzman are quite the polar opposites. I'd never really done anything hurtful to Lizzie. We even use to talk politely with each other.

All of that changed one day in seventh grade. Someone had spread around the school that she was crazy bipolar, and she went on a rampage towards me. Kick me signs, knocked down books, spread rumors, and pointed whispers at me were a regular occurence for a while. I got used used to it and focused on my school work. But sometimes, I still wonder why she thought I would do that to her.

“Lizzie, Josie and I are working on a project together."

“I don't need you ruining anymore of my life, troglodyte. Josie is my twin, and I expect to see you back off from her!"

“Whatever, Lizzie." I walk away from the threatening twin. I know I'm going to probably get a fucking swirly today, but hanging out with Josie's worth it. 

“Hope?" Damn it, I'm daydreaming again. Josie just looks at me while I try to collect myself for an answer.

“Yeah?"

“Are you busy tomorrow?" I don't really participate in any kind of activity or sport, so I end up having a lot of free time on my hands.

“Yeah, I'm free. Do you have something in mind?"

“Well, there is a new movie coming out. I was just wondering...if you wanted to come see it with me?"

She really wasn't kidding when she said she wanted to hang out more. Okay, I can enjoy some fun.

“Of course I do. When is it?"

“The movie's at 8. I hope that's not too late for you." I tell her that's fine, and we eventually work out the rest of the details. Soon, the bell rings to signal the end of the school day.

“Bye, Hope. See you later!"

“See you soon." She races away from me. Dang, she's quick as a fox.

Okay, I think I'm having a heart attack. Seriously. I was perfectly fine sitting in this uncomfortable ass seat trying to get through this lame romance movie just a minute ago. But then I felt something slip into my hand. When I looked over to my right, I saw Josie intently watching the movie. However, her surprisingly soft hand was slipped into mine.

I kind of feel sorry for her. I've been nervous throughout this entire outing, so my hand is extremely sweaty and clammy. I think I should worry about myself, however, because my heart is leaping out of my chest at this very moment.

A huge explosion just occurred on screen! I think I'd be more excited if Josie's hand hadn't escaped our grasp when she jumped in excitement. I kind of miss her soft hand in mine. I also can't help but think about how seemingly perfectly it fit into my hand. Thankfully, Josie is focused on the movie. Because of this, I spend the rest of the movie sneaking glances at her expressions. She is one of the most emotional people I know, and watching her is way more entertaining than the movie.

I'm still watching her when her mouth suddenly moves because she's talking to me. 

“So what did you think of the movie?" Shit, I don't really remember any of it.

“I thought it was great. Especially the end!"

“What was your favorite part?"

“When she, umm, did the..." I'm horrible at this.

“You didn't pay attention, did you?" Josie has a huge smirk on her face.

“Well, you know, I...yeah no, I didn't."

“Then what did you pay attention to these past two hours?"

“Honestly? It was kinda you." Her whole face lights up into one of her signature smiles.

“I was the one who distracted you? Why?"

“I'm sorry, but the movie was boring as fuck to me. And your facial expressions were the most funny things I've ever witnessed. Couldn't keep my eyes off of you, really."

“So you just couldn't keep your eyes off of my rocking hot body?"

“Oh my gosh, no! I would never objectify you or simplify you to just your body. I mean, you are attractive to almost everyone in the world probably, but-"

“Hope, I'm just joking with you." 

“Oh, okay. Sorry, I should've figured that out earlier."

“Hope, can you stop apologizing just for your existence? I like you for who you are. That's why we are literally hanging out right now. Just be yourself." Just be myself, okay. Cool. 

“Okay, Josie. I'm sorr-I mean, I'll work on that. And for the record, I like hanging out with you too."

“I know, you just stared at me for a whole movie." With that statement, she starts obnoxiously giggling at her own joke.

“Hey!"

We're both standing on Josie's porch about twenty minutes later. She breaks the comfortable silence.

“I guess this is where we say goodbye."

“Yep." Okay, I sound like a fucking weirdo. Why does she hang out with me?

“I had a lot of fun tonight, Hope."

“Me too, Josie. Even though I didn't really watch the movie." She laughs at that. I really don't want to leave yet. I reach for a hug anyway though.

“Oww!" I'm the worst fucking clutz ever. Our heads somehow just smacked together.

“Josie, are you okay? I'm so sorry."

“I'm fine, Hope. Let's try again." She starts the hug, and it goes much better this time. I'm engulfed in the scent of her flowery perfume, and I never want to leave. Someone stops the hug though, and we say our goodbyes.

When I'm walking back to my car to drive away, I see something that stops my heart cold. Someone was watching that whole embarrassing scene through the window. Lizzie. Fucking. Saltzman.


	4. Chapter 4

Ugh. This day is getting worse and worse. I slept through my fucking alarm earlier, I had to miss breakfast, and I just got through an hour long physics class. I'm tired, hungry, and bored out of my mind. And to top it all off, I haven't seen Josie in days. That is kind of my fault, though.

Okay, this may sound stupid, but I've been too scared to even attempt talk to Josie this week. Before I started hanging out with her, she was just a concept. A figure of my imagination. And now everything is real, so I don't wanna mess this thing up.

I felt something during that movie. Something I've never really felt before in my life. My heart was pumping out of my chest, I was sweating buckets, and I couldn't even pay attention to the movie. I've seen the gooey romance movies, okay? So I know what this must mean for me.

I. Have. A. Crush.

It's way too early for that! I just started talking to Josie, and I already have a full-blown freaking crush on her? I can't even act like a normal person around her, so how am I supposed to talk to her too?

"Hope?" Well this is the worst timing.

"Hey, Josie. What's up?" Her face twists in slight anger.

"What's up? That's what you have to say to me? How about, 'I'm sorry, Josie.' Or, 'Here's an explanation for my behavior lately.' I think that would almost cover for you avoiding me this whole week!" 

So she's noticed. Shit. What am I gonna tell her? She can't know about my feelings.

"You're right, Josie. I'm really sorry. You deserve to know the truth." I hesitate.

"Well?"

"I just-I was kind of, uhm, scared." My voice cracks slightly on that last word. We're in the middle of a crowded hallway, and I can feel my eyes start to water. Sorrow starts to creep up my spine and make its way to my heart. I think Josie notices my quick mood change because I feel her strong yet soft hands lead me into an empty bathroom nearby.

"Hope? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm com-completely fine." She gives me a look, so I know she doesn't really believe me.

"Okay...Maybe I'm not at my best right now."

"That's okay, Hope. I just want you to trust me with your problems. Nobody's perfect. Even if you are pretty close."

She's smiling at me, and we both chuckle at her joke. I am quite a perfectionist. I take this moment to start to give her an explanation.

"Like I told you, I am scared. I'm scared of messing everything up, okay? You're honestly the best friend I've ever had, and we've been talking for a week at most!"

"Hope-"

"No, Josie! You are awesome, kind, generous, sweet, and everything in between! And I am just a lumpy freaking sack of potatoes. I'm eventually gonna do something to mess us up, and I don't wanna risk losing our friendship before it even starts." She just looks at me for what feels like forever. I can't tell what she's thinking, and maybe I don't wanna know. It takes a minute, but she finally responds.

"Hope, I am done with you bashing yourself and comparing yourself to others. You aren't a lumpy sack of potatoes. To me, you're beautiful, okay? Forget what I said before, you are perfect."

She thinks that? About me? Wow, if I thought I had a crush before, I think I want to marry her right now. Her big and soulful eyes make me feel like she can see into my soul. Usually, I hate eye contact like this. But Josie makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Like someone just turned on a lamp inside me that's been off for a long time.

"You really think that about me?"

"I know this about you."

Okay, I am officially a puddle. This effect she has on me is not good for my fragile heart. By the way, it is due to burst out of my chest in about-

"BRIIING! BRIIING!"

The bell interrupted my thoughts and our conversation.

"Oh shit! Josie, I've gotta get to class. I can't be late!" My movements are frantic as I try to get out of the claustrophobic bathroom. 

"Hope, wait!"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we could meet at my house after school? For, you know, our French project?"

"Of course!" Of course? Really, Hope? You sound eager as hell.

"It's a date, then. See you later, Hope." She practically skips out the door. But not before giving me a kiss on the cheek on her way out. And once again, Hope Mikaelson is a puddle.


	5. Chapter 5

Ugh. My hands are all sweaty.

I wipe off my hands on my denim jeans, but it doesn't really help. It's only getting hotter inside this damn car, but I can't seem to work up the courage to get out of it. This is because I'm right in front of the Saltzman family house, home to one Josie Saltzman. 

Earlier today I apologized for my behavior towards her this past week, but what if she hasn't really forgiven me? There could be some small chance she's still angry with me, and I wouldn't be surprised. I've been a jackass lately because I have no emotional or social intelligence. And the fact that I am crushing on Josie doesn't help in the slightest.

It could have taken anywhere in between five minutes and five years, but I finally get out of my car and slowly walk to the door of the Saltzman house. My hand shakes slightly as I ring their doorbell.

The door swings open in my face, and Lizzie Saltzman stands in front of me with an exaggerated grimace.

"Oh, great. Now the freak is in my home." 

Today's my lucky day, apparently. Now I've run into Lizzie twice in one week.

"Josie! Your nerdy troglodyte girlfriend is here!" My eyes drop to the floor as I wait for Josie to come downstairs. I'm not scared of Lizzie! Just...intimidated. Finally, I hear Jo leap down the stairs. 

Okay, this doesn't sound really great, but I'm suddenly distracted. I've always appreciated my ability to stay focused and concentrated. However, my mind goes a little foggy for a minute. 

Shorts. That's my dilemma at the moment. Not the actual shorts, of course, but the person wearing them. My eyes involuntarily traveled up and down Jo's long ass legs. Her perfect freaking legs. I've never really been gifted the opportunity to see Josie's legs before, not like this, because of the school dress policy. But I'm glad I'm here now. Scenarios and situations are running through my horny teenage mind...

"Hope?" My eyes snap to her face once again.

"Uh, yeah? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I just said hello."

"Oh. Well, Hi!" I'm an idiot.

"While you two are down here flirting, I'll be upstairs, okay?" Lizzie interrupts the awkward tension in the air for us. "And please don't have sex on the couch. I like to nap there. Toodles!"

There's a long stretch of silence after Lizzie leaves the room. I feel an enormous pressure to say something and break the silence, but my mouth doesn't want to work properly. Thankfully, Josie comes to my rescue; this has been a recurring theme lately.

"Do you wanna, like, go to the kitchen or something—to, you know, work on our project?"

"Yeah, sure." 

For the next few hours nothing can be heard but the typing of the computer keys and the occasional small talk between us. Since I decided long ago that acing all of my subjects was a must, it's not unusual for me to spend hours upon hours dedicated to studying or researching. However, I find it hard to concentrate whenever I'm in Josie's presence lately. That's what leads to my current predicament.

"Hey, Hope?"

"Yeah, Jo?"

"Are you almost done reading that book yet?"

"Mmhmm," I mumble, "Why do you ask?"

"Well you haven't turned the page in about 10 minutes, so..." 

Shit. I feel like I've been caught in a lie, even though I haven't technically done anything. I just spaced out thinking about the way Jo's eyebrows crinkle when she's concentrating. It's extremely cute. But I can't exactly tell her that, can I?

"I guess I lost my focus. It's hard to stay on task when reading about ancient French people from the 1700's."

I didn't mean it as a joke, but she laughs anyway. Then her face shifts into an indescribable expression.

"I think we should take a break from this for a minute. Wouldn't want you to pass out from boredom!" I smile at her words.

"Okay, what do you have in mind?"

I can tell she's thinking for a moment when suddenly her face lights up.

"We have some brownie mix here. Maybe we could make some." 

I don't even really like brownies that much, but I can't deny any request she makes while she's looking at me like that. She's trying to hide it, but I can tell that she's really excited to eat the brownies. There's even a freaking twinkle in her eyes! Who even looks that pretty and beautiful at the same time? She's the living embodiment of the type of princess that lives in fairytales.

Oh, shit. I haven't responded yet. I've just been creepily staring at her for like a full thirty seconds.

"Uh-yeah That sounds great, Jo."

"Great! I'll get the mix out! Can you read the box for ingredients while I get the baking pan?"

"Yeah, sure." I'm reading the box she gave me: three eggs, a cup of milk, two tablespoons of-

"Hope?" She interrupts my thoughts.

"Yeah, Jo?"

"Can you get the vegetable oil out of my cabinet? It's on the top shelf."

"Yeah, sure." I make my way to the cabinet to retrieve the item at hand. My hand reaches for it, but I'm left grunting with my outstretched hand not finding the vegetable oil. It's simply too tall for me. Josie seems to understand what's happening when she sees my intense struggle, so she presses her body against mine to reach up for the object in question.

This only happens for a few moments, but I find myself feeling like I've been shocked on the entire left side of my body. Jo's body up against my smaller one floods me with a fuzzy warmness. After she's gotten the oil, we both stand in our position for a moment, and I swear she leans her head closer to mine. I can feel her breath on my face as she comes closer and-

"JOSIE!" We jump clumsily apart. Lizzie comes bounding down the stairs. 

"Josie, have you seen my-" Lizzie looks around the kitchen confused. "What are you guys doing down here?"

Josie responds quickly. "Just making some-uhm, brownies."

Lizzie eyes dart suspiciously between the both of us. I'm sure the burning red blush on my face is extremely noticeable. Thankfully, she either doesn't notice, or doesn't care enough to mention it.

"Okay, whatever. Have you seen me hairbrush, Jo?"

"It's on my bed, Lizzie."

"Okay, thanks. See ya later, lovebirds."

She leaves just as abruptly as she came.

The vegetable oil is just sitting on the counter. So I decide to say something.

"How about we actually start mixing the ingredients together? It's kind of important for the overall recipe."

Josie laughs. And It leaves my head spinning like it usually does. I'm really in deep.


	6. Chapter 6

Wow, I just fucking love going to school on a Monday. Just kidding, I hate it. I know people think all nerds with good grades must enjoy going to school every damn day, but I clearly don't fit that stereotype. 

Back when I was in 1st or 2nd grade, my teachers would always tell my parents about how "above average" I was and give me outrageous compliments on my intelligence. When I started hearing praise from my parents because of it, I felt like that was the expectation of me, to be extremely smart. So I put all of the effort a little second-grader could possibly put into her studies. Ever since, I've tried my hardest to be the absolute best in everything academic: spelling bees, reading contests, times tables tests, and anything else you could think of. 

This doesn't mean I actually enjoy attending high school every day. Somehow, it seems like every day after I go to school, my energy is completely drained. Is that normal?

Anyways, that's what I'm thinking about when I get to my locker at 7:30 on a Monday morning. I'm about to open my locker when- 

"What are you doing tonight at 7?" 

JESUS CHRIST! Oh, it's just MG. 

"Uh..." I'm not really eager to answer this question because I know it's gonna involve me actually going out and doing something. If you couldn't tell I'm kind of an introvert.

"Okay, now just hear me out." This isn't a good start. He continues, "I just saw a post on Lizzie's Snapchat story, and she said she's going to the soccer game tonight! Do you know what this means?!" 

"Not really, but I have a feeling you're gonna explain it to me."

"This is my chance to finally talk to her! You know how long I've been crushing on her, right?"

"Yeah I do. Doesn't mean I really like it." His face kind of crumbles with that last statement.

"I know you and Lizzie have been 'enemies' since that one incident a long time ago, but you don't know her like I do, okay? Ever since we were paired up as lab partners a couple months ago, I've really gotten to know her better. And she is definitely not the she-devil you want to make her out to be." 

My face must take on a look of disbelief because he says again, "She's not, okay?" Okay, now I'm confused.

"Alright, what does this all have to do with me?"

"You need to come with me tonight to the game! You're my wing woman!"

I don't know how I deserve that title, since neither me nor MG has dated anyone ever. 

"Why do I need to come?" 

I don't know why he suddenly looks exasperated, but all he says is, "Gee, I don't know, Hope? Maybe because you're my best friend, or because you desperately need to get a life? All you do every day is sit at home and study or watch that stupid show called The Office."

"Don't trash on 'The Office!' That is a cinematic masterpiece! And I hang out with Josie sometimes!"

"When was the last time you did something outside of school that didn't involve Josie?"

When I shuffle through the last couple of months in my head, I feel like a loser. I haven't done anything fun besides hanging out with Josie for a long time. Yet another reason why I'm just a pathetic nerdy nobody. Maybe it'll be good for me to do something for a bit. 

"Okay, fine. I'll go with you to this stupid game."

I really should've turned MG down earlier, because this is not where I want to be right now. How many people are this interested in soccer? It seems like the entire school is here watching the game, and it hasn't even started yet!

I have absolutely no idea why we're here earlier than the game starts. I think I might know the reason if I was actually listening to MG ramble in the car earlier. I've got a lot on my mind, and I sort of spaced out the entire ride here. A certain tall brown eyed girl was invading my thoughts. It's like she moved in to my brain about a month or two go and bought a lease for it. Honestly, I don't mind though because she's quite a pleasant day dream to hav-

"Hope, the players are starting to warm up. Look!" 

"MG, why would I care if they're starting to warm up?"

"Just look, okay?" I decide to listen to him and take a glance at the field. There's about 20 girls on our team taking shots at the soccer goal. I used to play soccer when I was in like fourth grade, but I never did it for any longer than that. I'm kind of stunned by the skill I see on our school's entire team. There is one girl in particular, though, who hasn't missed a single shot from what I can tell. My eyes try to focus in on who it is. 

Oh shit. It's Josie! I can't believe I forgot she's on the team. Didn't she tell me that? Oh whatever. I guess I know now.

"Hey, MG? Did you know Josie's on the soccer team?" He gets a weird look in his eyes that I can't decipher. And he answers me with, "Huh? No I don't think I did." It kinda looks like he's lying, but what would be the reason to lie? Whatever. My eyes find their way back to Josie on the field. The team seems to be playing some type of passing game, and Josie is clearly dominating. Wow, she just quite literally spun around a defender. She never told me she was this good?

I've spaced out from watching the team warm up when MG interrupts me. 

"I'm gonna go find Lizzie, okay? Are you good here?"

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." I'm not really paying attention.

MG leaves, and I am left by myself on these cold bleachers. My stomach grumbles, and I realize I forgot to eat a snack after school today. Well, I guess I'm going to get a crappy ass pretzel from the concession stand. 

The line for the concessions is really freaking long, so I decide to go to the bathroom beforehand. Where is the dang bathroom, anywa- 

Well, ouch! My body just smacked into someone. I look up, and it's... Lizzie? 

"Ugh, don't bump into me, freak."

"Well I really didn't mean to so..."

"What are you even doing here, Mope? It's a girls soccer game, not the nerd convention."

"Well, I'm here to watch the team play obviously, Lizzie. Why are you here?"

"To support my sister, who you better not be stalking. I can't believe my sister would be friends with the likes of you. I can see the way you absolutely drool over Josie though, so I know what your intents are." Why the hell would Lizzie know about my crush on Josie? Am I that obvious?

"I do not drool over Josie, okay? We are just friends and that is it!" Then I try to storm off, but not before I hear Lizzie mumble under her breath, "Your nerdy ass crush is so obvious, ugh."

I don't know how MG sees anything in her besides her rudeness. Jeez.

I go back to my seat and find MG sitting there too. It looks like the game just started, so I sit down beside him and turn my eyes to the field. He says to me, "Did you just see what Josie did? That was pretty cool. I didn't know she was that good." 

I respond, "I know, right? She's like a modern day Pele out there on the pitch. I don't think she's made a bad pass yet in the game. I wish we were closer so I could see her to, you know, get a clearer picture of what's happening. Then maybe I could see her eyes. There kinda like a brown, but really dark and soulful, you know?" I stop my ramble to look at MG and see that he's smiling at me mischievously. I stop.

"Wait. Why did you really want me to come tonight MG?" He looks hesitant.

"Because you're my wing woman! Obviously." He's a shitty liar, oh my god. He lied!

"No, why am I really here, MG?" 

"Okay, okay. I've noticed how much you talk about Josie and everything. And I think you would benefit from seeing your new crush at her soccer game, so?"

"Why does everybody think I have a crush on her! We're close friends, and that's all we're ever gonna freaking be!" My face kind of grimaces when I say that though, and MG looks like he caught my stumble. 

"I don't think that's what you want though, Hope." He's right. Maybe I should confide in him. He is my best friend. 

"Okay... I kind of...maybe...sort of...like Josie. Are you happy now?!"

"Extremely. Thank you, Hope, for telling me. Can I ask you a question, though?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know if you, like, like boys still or do you like just Josie, or what?" I mean, I've kind of thought about that in these past couple weeks and I don't really know what I am. It's really kind of hard sorting out your feelings towards what gender or how many you like. It's been a big weight on my chest for a while now, but I'm glad I can tell MG about it now.

"Honestly, MG, I don't know what I am. Gay, bi, whatever. And it's kind of scary. All I know is that I really like Josie. Desperately." I don't know what my face looks like at this moment, but apparently it makes MG want to pull me in a hug.

"It doesn't matter to me who you like, Hope. You'll always be my best friend, okay?"

"Okay." I take a deep breath. "Thanks, MG."

"No problem." We untangle from the hug. "And I'm gonna help you get together with Josie like my life depends on it. Cause y'all would be good together. I'm just sayin'. And it's cuffing season!"

"MG, you're such a kid. But, I love you."

"Love you too, Hope. Now let's get back to watching this game."


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, so the whistle just blew, and I'm extremely glad for it. I've been waiting for the past 20 minutes to finally go and use the bathroom. I know I could've just left in the middle of the game to go, but I've been really into watching. The score was tied 2-2 most of the game. Then Josie finally scored the most important goal off of a free kick in the last 5 minutes of the game! Exciting, right?

Anyways, I find my way to the bathroom for the second time tonight, and the line is surprisingly not as long as it was last time. I'm glad because I told MG to wait by the car for me since he drove us here. As I'm getting out of the bathroom, I bump into the one person who's been on my mind since before the game even started.

"Hey, Josie!" I say it with a wide grin. Hopefully she can tell how proud I am of her playing.

"Oh, hey, Hope! I didn't know you were coming to the game tonight? Did you enjoy watching?"

"I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Speaking of which, I didn't know you were that good? Heck, you scored the winning goal!"

She looks at me with modesty written all over her face. "Honestly, it was a team effort that we won the game. Though I'm glad you noticed my skill. It's been a product of a lot of training and time on the field." I smile at her words.

"Always the modest one, Josie. Anyways, what are you doing after the game?" 

"Nothing much. Do you have something in mind?" 

I know I'm trying to go out more and be active, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to jump right into the new resolution headfirst. 

"Actually, my family rented a couple of movies, but we never got around to watching them. Do you wanna come over so we can see them at my house? If you want to you could sleep over too." I hope she says yes. Otherwise, this will be quite embarrassing.

"Yeah. Sure, Hope. Just let me drive home and take a shower. I'll come over in a little bit."  
We say our farewells, and I start heading over to MG's car. He sees me approach and starts a conversation.

"So, was the line for the bathroom really long, then?"

"No, not really. I actually ran into someone on the way here."

"Who?"

"Uh... Just Josie." His face turns into a little smirk. 

"Oh, just Josie, huh? Well, I hope your 'girlfriend's' doing good." Ugh, he's so annoying.

"I literally just told you I liked her, okay?" My face starts blushing red against my wishes. "And she is not my girlfriend!" I open up the car door and plop into the passenger seat. Can people just stop teasing me for things I can't control? Jesus!

———

"Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year!"

I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching The Office. It's a perfect escape from my problems. If I'm tired of having next to no friends, I seek The Office for comfort. When Lizzie makes a cruel insult at my expense, I go home and cheer myself up with The Office. Even when I'm having an identity crisis, I'll look to The Office for help. I don't understand why some people can even try to hate on this masterpiece. Clearly, it's a-

Knock. Knock.

Ugh. Now I have to get up. I make sure to pause my Netflix before I throw the blanket off of me and my bed. When I finally get to the door and look through the peephole, I see that it's Josie. And there go the butterflies in my stomach again. I try to smooth down my frizzy bedhead hair before I finally open the door to let her inside.

"Hey, Hope. What's up with you?" It takes me a moment too long to answer her because I'm busy trying to take in what she's wearing: short black Nike shorts, quite a revealing tank top, and some cute black glasses. Wait, she asked me a question.

"Uhm, nothing much. How are you?"

"I'm pretty tired after my game. I hope I don't fall asleep on you tonight." We both chuckle slightly. 

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, where did the new glasses come from?"

"Oh yeah, I always forget to take my contacts and solution back home when I sleep over at other people's houses. So I just bring my glasses over instead." 

"Oh, okay. Well they look pretty cute. Especially on you." I freeze on that last statement. "I mean, the glasses are stylish or cute or whatever...not that you aren't! I just mean-" She finally decides to put me out of my misery and interrupts my rambling.

"Thank you for the compliment, Hope. It's much appreciated." Her face splits into a wide grin, and I can't help but reciprocate.

"Uh, Hope?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I come inside?" My cheeks burn bright red. Actually, even redder than they were moments before. 

"Shoot, yeah. Of course, come on in." I gesture her inside, and we make our way into my bedroom.

———

"Wow...So this is the infamous Hope Mikaelson's room!" Josie smirks at me as she makes her joke. It gets me to chuckle slightly.

"Yep, this is it." I'm kind of self-conscious about showing my room to people. I'm not one to really decorate a space, so it looks pretty bland. Or, at least, that's what most people would probably think. But I know Josie's not like "most people". 

"Hope, I do actually like your room. It's pretty much what I imagined it would be like. And I'm liking the blanket on your bed." It's made up of characters on The Office. "The blanket matches your pajamas as well." She says it with a kind of smirk and chuckles soon after. I laugh with her, even though I'm slightly embarrassed. My obsession with a TV show isn't exactly something to be proud of. 

Anyways, Josie and I end up sitting on my bed together. I don't know for how long, but we spend a long time just talking about stupid nonsense. Finally, Josie brings up the reason why we're both here.

"So what movie are we gonna watch tonight?" When she says that, I jump off of the bed and collect a bunch of possible movies.

"Well, let's see. We have Pitch Perfect 2, High School Musical, It: Chapter 2, Love Simon, and-" 

"Ooh, let's watch Love, Simon! That's such a good movie!" I'm surprised by Josie's choice, because it's a favorite movie of mine as well. I guess the movie was really popular when it came out though. I smile at her widely and say,  
"Love, Simon it is." I get up and pop the movie in the DVD player in my TV. When I look back to my bed, I stand there for a minute too long wondering how close I should sit to Josie. 

"Hope, are you gonna lay down and watch the movie? I promise I don't bite. Well, maybe a little." We both laugh at her joke for a moment, and I'm glad she cleared the awkward tension in the air. So I climb onto my own bed and scoot slightly closer to Josie, still leaving about a good foot between us. 

———

I can't believe I forgot how good of a movie this is. Josie and I both have laughed at some scenes like four times already. And in that short amount of time, we've gotten really closer on the bed. Now, I don't know who actually moved closer, but I can guess it was a mutual effort. And I'm practically sitting in Josie's lap at this point. Not the exact worst position to be in, I'd say. 

The movie's getting a bit more serious as Simon gets outed. I find myself actually tensing up and getting angry at the little rat who outed him to everyone. I guess Josie notices because she moves her body even closer to me than it was before. I look at her big brown eyes and give her a genuine smile of appreciation. She smiles back at me too, and I feel like my heart stops. I almost start to lean in closer, but a scene in the movie gets a little louder than before, and we both snap our faces back to watch the movie again. 

Then the probably most heartbreaking and emotional scene happens. It's the one where Simon's mom tells him he gets to breathe again finally. When she says that exact line, hot tears fall down my face. The scene continues on, and I'm crying with Simon. I feel I relate to him too much, and I kind of wish Josie weren't here right now. I can tell she notices my distress because she grabs the remote and pauses the movie.

I'm uncomfortable that she noticed me crying, so I try to force out a laugh and make a joke.  
"Aww, why'd you turn it off? We were just getting to the good part." My red, blotchy face gives me away though, and Josie is persistent.

"Hope, are you okay? I know that scene is kind of sad, but I'm kinda wondering if something's up with you." I avoid looking at her face, so I don't break down again. She's the reason I'm going through this mess! I obviously cannot tell Josie that her mere presence makes me question myself and my identity, but I don't think Josie would judge me for anything besides that issue. Maybe I can give her a general version of events. 

I take in a shallow breath. "Uhm...Josie?"

"It's okay, Hope. Take your time. Just know that you can tell me anything. I won't judge." 

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard for me to say it. But here goes...I may kind of, sort of like...girls?" I look to her eyes briefly, scared to see judgement. But there's not any. I see a flash of some emotion I can't decipher, but then I see compassion written all over her face after a tiny moment.

"That's cool, Hope. I'm glad you felt like you could share that part of yourself with me. I know it's very private for some people from personal experience." Wait, what?

"Personal experience?" I probe for more information.

"Oh, I'm pansexual. I'm surprised you haven't heard. I came out to the school around a couple years ago." Josie likes girls too? How the hell did I never hear about that? That seems like something I wouldn't miss. It did happen a couple of years ago though, so I guess it flew under my radar.

"Oh, well I didn't hear about that. That's cool for you I guess. And here I am freaking out about whether you'll accept me or stop being friends with me, God." We both laugh for a minute at my joke, and it sounds stupid to me now how scared I was to even say who I liked to Josie. When Josie's convinced that I've finally calmed down, she starts the movie back up again.

When I lie back down beside Josie, I can feel her arm loop around me and stop on my waist. I don't think I want to be anywhere else at this moment. 

———

The movie's credits start rolling, and I almost start to say something when I notice Josie is dead asleep. Then I roll over as gently as I can without waking her up and look at her precious face. She looks like an angel and is completely at peace. The last thing I remember before passing out is the sound of her soft snores putting me to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Here's a quick update: it's been a week since Josie slept over at my house, and my brain has since gone completely haywire. Before, when I thought Josie was straight as an arrow, my feelings towards her were like a knife to my heart. But now that there's a minuscule possibility that Josie could like me back, I feel like my whole outlook on our friendship is...different. But in a good way.

I've found myself noticing new things about Josie as well. Like, for instance, how her nose scrunches in French class when we're going over a new grammar lesson. Or how she hates the taste of bacon unless it's fried in a pan, not microwaved. And on a deeper level, how Lizzie seems cast a shadow over Josie, except for when she's on the soccer field. That's when Josie seems to be truly at peace. 

This is what I'm telling MG when he decides to butt his nose in my business.

"Josie this, Josie that! Oh my God, Josie actually did this last night! Josie, Josie, Josie!" MG's occasional sarcasm is so annoying. And for the record, his imitation of me is way too nasally. "When are you gonna grow a pair and ask Josie out, Hope?"

"MG, she's never going to like me in the way that I like her in a million years." 

He gives me a look of exasperation and sighs.

"Hope, first of all, Josie isn't straight." I cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah. I know that, MG. Just because she likes girls doesn't mean she likes me."

"Okay... But lemme finish, though. I also see the way she looks at you. Kinda like...like you hung up all the stars in the sky." What the hell is MG talking about? Does she actually look at me like that?

I guess MG notices my disbelief because he continues on with, "Trust me, Hope. I can see it so clearly. She looks at you like you look at her."

"And how do I look at her, genius?"

"Hmm...You look at her like she's the answer to all of your problems. Oh, and like she has a million dollars!" He laughs loudly at his comment, and I decide to punch him in the arm. But then I get serious.

"Do you really think Josie likes me? And what if she doesn't and our friendship is ruined? I can't lose that." The thought of that ever happening makes my heart go numb.

"I can't tell you what Josie feels for sure, but the signs are all there. And your friendship is too important to the both of you for anything like this to ruin it." MG is kind of right. I mean, I'm still really anxious about the whole situation, but I know that our friendship is really too strong for that to happen. 

"Okay, MG. I'll ask Josie to sleep over tonight, and then I'll tell her how I feel, once and for all!" 

"There's the badass Hope that I know!"

His encouragement is like liquid courage to me. I definitely feel more confident about it then I did yesterday. Where is Josie anyway? I look around the school cafeteria to see if I can spot her. There she is! I'm just about to go up to her when I see something that stops me dead in my tracks. 

She's hugging Landon Kirby.

———

You remember when I said I had more confidence about my feelings towards Josie? Well that's all gone now. 

I just don't understand why she would be hugging someone in the middle of the cafeteria who isn't her sister. Well, actually, I know why. She's obviously freaking dating Landon, and I somehow missed the announcement! But seriously though, why wouldn't she have told me about this? Is it because of-

"Mikaelson!" Mr. Wilson snaps me out of my thoughts. "What is the end of the electron configuration for helium?"

I'm usually on my A-game in chemistry, but as you can see, I've been quite distracted today. Oh shit, everybody's looking at me.

"Uh...two?" My teacher looks like he just caught me red-handed. 

"Actually, I was looking for a sub-level, Mikaelson. If you could pay attention today instead of daydreaming, perhaps you would have known that. Continuing on..."

And if you payed attention to your wife, she wouldn't have cheated on you.

"Excuse me, Miss Mikaelson?! Pack up your things and go to the office this instant!"

Oh shit, I said that out loud. Wait, I'm actually in trouble. What the hell? My parents are gonna kill me!

———

Well, I have detention after school on Friday now, which is just great. I don't think I can even go home tonight and face my parents. No one will be able to find my body.

I'm still thinking of ways to stay alive after tonight when Josie comes to my locker.

"Hope, MG told me you have lunch detention? What happened?"

I really don't want to tell Josie what happened. I don't think she'd judge me, but I still don't want her to think any differently of me. Oh well, I guess honesty is the best policy.

"Uh, I don't really know. One minute I was distracted thinking about y- or uh...something, and I accidentally let a joke about Mr. Wilson slip through. Something along the lines of how his wife cheated on him, I guess."

Josie face is seemingly frozen. Then she does something I definitely didn't expect. She starting laughing her head off!

"I didn't think my problems were this funny, Jo." She stops after a little while.

"I just can't believe that you, Hope Goody Two-Shoes Mikaelson, told off a teacher about his wife's freaking affair!" And she starts laughing again. And a little more. Finally, she stops for real and asks me a question.

"What were you distracted by?"

"Wait, what?"

"You said you were distracted in class. That's really not like you, Hope."

I can't tell Josie she was the one distracting me, right? She's probably dating someone at the moment, so my feelings will not be helpful to know about at this moment. Maybe I can bend the truth a little bit.

"Why didn't you tell me you're dating Landon?" Her face twists in obvious surprise.

"Why would you think that?"

Huh?

"Well, I saw you two hugging in the cafeteria at lunch today."

Josie just loves giving me some surprises today. Once again, she lets out a couple of giggles, as if I just told her a really funny joke.

"Hope, Landon is definitely not my boyfriend!"

"Then why were you hugging him?"

"He's literally my cousin." Ohhh...

I look real embarrassed when I say, "That makes sense then. Huh. Sorry, Jo."

"You don't have to be sorry. It's not like you knew, obviously." I feel extremely grateful that she isn't mad at me or something. Then Jo asks another question.

"Why did you care so much anyway?" She says it with a joking tone.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you take your classes quite seriously, and the possibility of Landon being my boyfriend somehow distracted you? I don't get it."

MG's advice echoes in my head. I mean, Josie isn't dating anyone like I preciously thought. Maybe I should ask her out.

"Well, you see...uhm...We've been friends for a couple of months now, and I think- I mean I know that it's been a lot of fun, at least for me."

"I've had fun too." Josie's beautiful smile slightly distracts me from my train of thought.

"And...and I....Well-"

"Way to get to the point, Hope." Josie's joke makes me laugh out my nervous energy, and I take some time to wipe sweat off my palms using my thighs.

"Okay, Jo. You're the one who made me lose my train of thought! And I'm obviously trying to tell you that I like you, so if you could stop with the jokes at my expense please! That would be great." Then I realize my mistake, and my heart rate jumps to a mile a minute. I really just awkwardly blurted out the one thing I've kept secret for weeks! Jesus, Hope. Get it together!

Josie's obviously stopped laughing by this point. And the amount of time she's spent just staring at me is quite nerve-wracking. Then she speaks up with a soft voice.

"You like me?" 

"Yeah," My sheepish reply somehow squeaks out.

Her reply is quick. "When are you free then?"

Wait, what? Is this what I think it means?

"What do you mean, Josie?"

She gives me a trademark smirk. "You like me, I like you. When are you available for a date then?" I'm literary speechless. And I think my jaw has dropped to the floor.

"Uh. I guess we'd probably have to wait until after I'm not grounded, so after next week, maybe? Or, you know, any day is fine. I really don't have anything to do besides hang out with you, so I could just sneak out." I sound so desperate, it's really embarrassing.

"Okay, troublemaker. I'll see you sometime soon for a date. You should be prepared, though. I've been told I'm a really fun date." She gives me a smile, and I force out an awkward laugh.

"Sounds fun, Josie."

"See you tomorrow, Hope." And then she walks off like she didn't just turn my entire world upside down. She even had a cutesy hand wave! This girl is going to be the death of me, I swear.


	9. Chapter 9

When the bell rings at the end of the day, I find myself practically running out of the classroom. I know, I know. The people who actually run down the halls in the middle of a school day are freaking annoying, but I have a good reason. Tonight is my first date with Josie! Exciting, right?

Anyways, yesterday was the last day of my grounding because of the whole Mr. Wilson debacle. I told Josie about two weeks in advance that I'd be extremely available today because I knew I would not be able to wait more than a day for our date.

Oh shoot, what am I going to wear? And how will I sneak out without my parents knowing where I'm going? 

I ask this because my family cannot know that I'll be going on a date with Josie. The simple reason? They don't know I even like girls. Deeper down, though, I am just really scared that they will treat me differently when they find out. I'm not really ashamed of my sexuality, but I'm definitely not comfortable enough with it to turn my life upside-down. 

I make it to my mom's car so she can take me home after school like always. Her usual greeting comes out of her mouth while she puts the car in drive.

"How was your day, Hope?"

"Fine, Mom."

"Okay, sweetie. Any plans for tonight?"

"Uhm," I didn't know I had to come up with an excuse right this moment, "I'm probably going to be studying with Josie tonight."

"Okay, Hope. Have fun. Do you need a ride?" 

I answer her with a resound no. That was easier than I thought. All I have to do is say well be studying, and I can do practically whatever I want with Josie. That's useful info.

———

It's six o' clock, and I'm still not completely ready for our date tonight. Oh, and I just got a text message from Jo. She's coming to pick me up in twenty minutes? I need to pick up the pace!

Finally, I put on an outfit suitable for our date. It's pretty casual since Josie already told me where we're going. We'll be watching a soccer match, so I'm wearing some comfortable jeans and a nice looking blouse. I don't wanna be looking too casual though. Maybe I should wear something different?

Too late. Josie just rang my doorbell, and I cannot keep her waiting. I practically sprint down my stairs in an effort to get there as fast as I can. My door swings open, and my day easily gets much better as I take in Josie with my eyes. 

"Hey, Jo. What's up with you?"

"Nothing much, troublemaker." The nickname is endearing, but I'm still annoyed by it.

"Jo, I get one detention, and now I'm suddenly a troublemaker?" I ask with a smile, "You're labeling me as a delinquent!"

She laughs quietly, and I gesture for her to enter my house.

"You know, Hope, it's not my fault you were distracted in class."

"Actually, it was, Jo. I couldn't get the image of you and Landon out of my head. It was sickening." I pretend to stick a finger down my throat and gag as a joke.

"Ugh, thank God we weren't actually dating, or I might not have the pleasure to be here with you right now." Her smile is infectious, and her comment makes me go practically weak at the knees. 

"How are you so sweet, Jo?"

"I guess you just bring it out of me when I'm with you, huh?" Her flirting is on an expert level, and I am not equipped for her talent. Thankfully, I know how to steer a conversation.

"You're funny, Josie. What time do we have to leave for the game?"

"Whenever you want, my lady."

"Josie, stop it. I can feel my face blushing bright red right now, okay? You've won, babe." Her face brightens as she's caught my accidental pet name.

"Babe, huh?"

"Shut up."

———

I'm sure it's to be expected, but I'm already flustered in Josie's presence tonight. But it's certainly not my fault! She's had a habit of leaning in really freaking close to whisper little tidbits of info into my ear. Needless to say, my brain has been going haywire for most of this soccer match. However, it's almost over, and I have no clue what the next part of Josie's plan is for tonight. Let's just hope she doesn't comment on my obvious nervousness.

———

God, she's so cute. Right now, she's driving the car on the way to our next mystery destination, but I'm too preoccupied studying her little movements. I've noticed whenever a song comes on the radio that she likes, she'll softly hum the tune under her breath. One day, I hope I'll be able to witness her true singing voice. I have a feeling it'll be breathtaking. 

The car rolls to a stop, and I begrudgingly move my eyes away from Josie and to our surroundings. We're at a Waffle House?

Josie seems to notice my confusion, so she makes her statement to end it. "I know it's not exactly "date" material, but this place is kind of special to me. I'll tell you more when we get inside."

"Okay then, Jo. And you could take me anywhere, and I would appreciate it. Except for our public pool." My face twists into a grimace.

"What happened at the public pool?" 

"Maybe I'll tell you more when we're inside." I mimic her earlier statement. This causes her to give me one of her signature smiles, and I can do nothing but smile back at her.

When we're inside the Waffle House, we choose to sit side-by-side on the stools in the front. This prompts the usual banter between us. And after my retelling of why I will never set foot inside a public pool again, we somehow arrive at why Lizzie hates me so much.

"Hope, I have no actual clue why Lizzie doesn't seem to like you." She gives me a charming smirk and continues, "But unlike her, I really enjoy your company." How does she always know exactly how to make my heart race?

"Jo, I'm serious. But thank you. Anyways, I just don't get when she started absolutely hating me, it's ridiculous!" I start to regret my outburst when Jo's usually happy face morphs into a reminiscent frown.

"Lizzie wasn't always like that. I mean, we used to be so close. But that was back when my mom used to be around more. Our mom's been off on these long work trips, and that's why Lizzie's been acting out, I think. I know she just misses our mom, and I guess I do too." I don't really know what to do in this moment; I'm really horrible at comforting people. But I slip my hand into hers' in an effort to show my support.

"Jo, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have brought it up if I knew it caused you this much sadness."

"It's okay, Hope. You didn't know. And besides, it brings me to my story." I look at her with confusion, so she clarifies, "My story about why this place is important." Oh, okay.

"My mom, Lizzie, and I used to eat breakfast here every morning before she would go on another work trip. This was back when her trips would only be days at a time, not months. Anyways, those mornings would be the highlight of our week back then. We'd be practically too excited to go to sleep the night before. And I guess I just wanted to share that little part of myself with you tonight."

I know Josie's probably concerned by my silence, but she has literally made me speechless.

"The fact that you would put that much effort into our date really highlights your character in my eyes, Josie. You are truly a selfless, honest, and beautiful person, and I'm so glad that I have the pleasure of being with you right now." 

I don't know what brought on this little speech, but I'm just glad I haven't even stuttered once. Apparently, my words have a good effect on Jo, because her face has lit up like a Christmas tree. I feel like taking a mental picture of this moment and saving it forever.

"Hey, ladies. What can I get for you this evening?" The waitress startles us out of our touching moment, and I feel like someone's abruptly woken me up from a good dream.

We take this time to order our food, and the waiter makes a little comment afterwards.

"You guys are really cute! Have fun on your date tonight. Your food will be ready shortly."

She leaves as quickly as she came, and Josie and I both turn to look at each other. Then we burst into some good-natured giggles.

"I can't believe she even recognized that we were on a date. The last times I've been on dates with girls, they've always said, 'You guys are really great friends, huh?'"

Josie just put my thoughts into exact words. I've always thought I'd have to hide interactions with a significant other in public if we were both girls, but that comment is giving me hope. Maybe I can tell someone besides MG and Josie who I really am without absolute terror. 

———

The rest of the date went pretty well, and I'm looking forward to our next one. We will be having another one, right?

This gives me anxiety as Josie and I talk in the car outside my house. Up until now, we've had small talk for about five minutes.

"Jo?"

"Yeah?"

"Uhm. Do you think you would like to, I don't know, have another date soon?" 

I think she can tell how nervous I am because she sets her hand down on my knee, which, by the way, gives me absolute chills, and she looks at me with a little twinkle in her eyes. 

"I would love nothing more." 

"Ok-okay then. Uh, well I'll plan it next time then. And I'll see you on Monday at school." I give it some contemplating, but I quickly decide on my next move.

I slowly lean in to give Josie a kiss on the cheek. I am glad to say it was close to the best two or three seconds of my life. I probably lingered there for far too long, but she got the message. And then I got out of the car as fast as I could with a short, "See ya, Jo! Thank you for the date. I really appreciate it." 

When I finally get inside my house, I rush up to my room and jump onto my bed like I'm diving into a pool. The next thirty or so minutes are solely dedicated to reliving the past couple of hours of my life. I can't believe I just went on my first date with possibly the loveliest girl in the world!


	10. Chapter 10

"What's got you so smiley, Hope?"

My mom seems to be extremely nosy these days. Her question is accompanied with a curious stare that I discover after lifting my head up from looking at my phone. It shouldn't bother me because this is my fault, but I feel a creep of irritation up my spine after hearing her intrusive words. This feeling is probably because I'd like her to be the last person to know about my relationship with Josie, the girl that caused my face to break out into a wide grin just moments ago. I'd like to keep Josie away from my parents for the moment, thank you very much.

"What do you mean?" I reply to her feigning innocence. Hopefully she'll just drop her line of questioning, which is wishful thinking on my part since she never does.

She gives me an unimpressed look.

"Hope, I'm your mother. I know when something is happening with you. And I think that there's somebody very special that you've been talking to for a while now." Damn it. She's always been able to read me like an open book. I guess these past days I've been smiling because of Josie an impressive amount.

"Mom," I put on my best poker face, "if there was somebody in my life that you needed to know about, I'd tell you. Okay?"

My mom gives up her interrogation finally. "Alright, Hope. But you know you can tell me anything right?"

Right then and there is where I almost crack. The look on her face makes me want to believe my mom and spill about everything that's been happening. I even open my mouth slightly to tell her about my recent escapades. But something debilitating stops me.

Fear.

If I tell my mother about Josie, there's absolutely no going back. No more hiding in my nice, comfy metaphorical closet. No more being deemed "normal" in my family's eyes. I'm scared everyone will think differently of me, or even judge me based on solely my sexuality, which by the way, I don't even concretely know what that is just yet. So I give my mother the answer she wants to hear.

"I know, Mom."

———

It's only been a couple of days since our first date when I find myself in Josie's room once again. She invited me to come over after school only hours ago, and I brought my stuff to sleep over with her.

This sleepover, though, is completely different from the last ones we've had. I don't exactly know what we are, but we're not really just "friends" anymore. Which is what is currently putting me on extreme edge right now. 

Is she going to want to kiss me? As much as I would love to, it would be my first one ever. And I'm really scared that I'm gonna do something stupid. I cannot mess this up!

Josie interrupts my internal rambling with a question.

"Do you wanna play a board game with me? I've got the Game of Life somewhere around here." 

I don't really like board games, especially ones I've never played before. But Josie's cute little grin changed my mind on my previous stance.

"Sure, Jo." She gives me another award-winning smile.

"Great! Let me just go get it, and we can start."

After she locates the game, we migrate to her bed. The Game of Life is dropped on her bed with a resounding thud. It sounds quite heavy to me for some reason. After I help Josie set up the game, even though I've never played, we decide on what cars we want. Well, we argue for what cars we want.

"Josie, come on. Blue is my favorite color!"

"But I always play with the blue car, and I always win. It's my good luck charm, Hope!"

"Well then maybe you should switch it up for once. Live a little." I smirk after my stupid ass comment. But Josie is not amused.

"Hope, if the blue car is not in my hands in approximately ten seconds, there will be hell to pay." 

Josie doesn't usually make threats like this, so I take it with a grain of salt. But when I finally take in Josie's facial features after a couple seconds, I can see her face set in stone with anger. Not real anger, mind you, but quite an intense look of determination. If I wasn't the one receiving her stare, I'd probably laugh at Josie's attitude. However, she looks incredibly intimidating, even over a tiny little car.

It's taken me a couple seconds to reach this conclusion, which is apparently far too long for Josie. She leaps from her position on her bed and starts reaching for the blue car previously residing in my hand. She surprises me, though, so the car flies out of my hand when she ambushes me. It falls to a different place on the bed, and I quickly grab it and hide it behind my back.

This annoys Josie, who probably expected a quick retrieval of the little car. She starts violently tickling me, and I can do nothing to control my laughter. I've been twisting and turning to try and be released from her hold when I realize the position we're in. Josie is practically laid on top of me, and her face looks quite closer to mine than it did before. 

She seems to sober up quickly and realize our position as well, so now we're both completely and utterly silent. I can't help but look at her soft lips, and when my eyes move back up to hers, it seems she had noticed my gaze shifting. To my credit, I do not awkwardly try to halt the obvious tension in the moment, but my next move surprises me. At first, the movement wasn't conscious, but I now start to realize that I've been slowly moving my head to meet Josie's above me.

She's noticed too, and I can tell that her head is lowering to meet mine as well. The moment seems to last forever before Josie's lips finally meet mine. 

Just the slight brush of her lips seems to short circuit my brain, if it even was working beforehand anyway. I move to apply more pressure to her lips in the moment, but now my hands are awkwardly laid at my sides. Josie notices, of course she does, and gently guides my hands to rest on her hips.

If that isn't the sexiest thing I've ever been privileged to witness, then my name isn't Hope Andrea Mikaelson.

Anyways, I feel a little uncomfortable in my current position laying on Josie's bed, so I keep my hold on Josie's hips and slowly put myself in a sitting position. Now Josie is basically straddling my legs, and I don't think I could've ever dreamed up something this magical. Soon after I right myself, Josie surges to meet my lips again, and my brain ceases to work once more. I can't focus on anything besides her lips until Josie's hand finds its way to the nape of my neck. It's a simple and soft touch, but the action is enough to wake me up a little bit.

My hands slowly move from Josie's hips to rest on her sides. When that's not enough for me, my hands find their way under Josie's cotton tee and rest comfortably on her sides there. An almost inaudible gasp is heard from Josie, and I find myself wanting to do anything to hear it again.

It's unfortunate, but I do have to breathe occasionally, so I pull back from Josie and take the time to just look at her. 

What I notice most is her lips. Ironic, right? Whatever. It's just that I'm in awe because of how swollen they look. I did that to her. It's like a rush of adrenaline that won't go away.

I don't ever want the feeling to stop.

Just as I'm about to kiss her again, we're interrupted by Lizzie screaming from her room across the hall.

"Jo! Dad says to come here!"

She moves her attention back to me and apologizes, "Sorry, Hope." She then gives me a sheepish grin. 

"Oh, uhm. It's fine." It seems Lizzie's shout has reverted me back to my shy and unsure self for the moment. Jo also takes my statement as her cue to get up and start to go to her dad. But I shake out of my previous state and make sure to give Josie one last comment before she's out the door,

"We'll have plenty of time to continue this later." 

Josie playfully rolls her eyes at me and walks out the door, leaving me alone on her bed with a stupid-looking grin on my face.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fanfic, so I’m sorry if the concept isn’t very original. I just felt the need to write this down somewhere since I wasn’t really seeing it anywhere. Thanks!


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